Can opener



Aug. 19., 1952 R. H. wALLr-:R 2,607,111

CAN OPENER Filed Aug. 5. 1948 Patented Aug. 19, 1952 UNITED s'rATEs A'.PA'rfjlazNr OFFICE loAN OPENER l Robert 1I. fWaller,,-Nashyille, Ienn. .Application August 5, 194s, V'semiaiNa 42,690

mclaims. (clean-,15)

'This invention relates tocan openers and ari' Aobject of the invention is to provide a device of 'this kind including a drive or traction member Vland a coacting cutting member carried by a swinging lever which lever also serves as a means It is also an object of the invention to provide a device of this kind including a body member y Awith which is operatively engaged a swinging lever carrying a cutting means and wherein a yfor controlling a stop member.

stop member is slidably mounted -onthe-body member and operatively engagedwith the lever -in a manner whereby the lever when moved to Lbring the cutting means-into elective engage- -mentfwitha can-also moves the stop Vmember vto effective engagement with the canvand vice versa.l

Aurther object ofthe inventon is to provide a Adevice of this kind comprising a body member on-which a traction vor drive wheel is mounted together witha stop member movable on thebody .Above but .closely .adjacent to .thelip ,-iorrange 'f2 the .outer 'face ofthe .member M shas :rotatably vmounted thereonga drive for traction wheel .4, vthe periphery of whic'his toothed or knurled fto .assure :effective engagement-with the canitdgbe opened. This Wheel 4 is mounted on a4sh`at 5 disposed through the member M and has A'engaged therewith a thumb and finger .crank 6 -.at the side of the member M opposite to the wheelfll.

The body member vM above .the wheel l 'is'.-provided with a slot 1 disposed lengthwise -ofthe :member M and substantiallyradial ofthe axial center of the wheel "4. Outwardly vbeyond'flthe slot 1, the member M is provided with lafsec'ond slot 8 substantially at right angles 'to theslo't 1 and which extends to-oneside of the slot'l `Where- `by the slotsll and 8 `combine to provide what may toward and from the drive or traction wheel"- vandwherein a lever for moving a lcutting means In order that my invention may be better understood, I will now proceed-to describe the same with reference ,to :.the Laccompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a View in front elevation .of a can opening .device constructed in accordance with .an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2.is a view in side elevation;

nFigure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure l;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 4 4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view in elevation of another embodiment of the invention; and

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken substantially on the line 6-6 of Figure 5.

As disclosed in the accompanying drawings, M denotes a body member illustrated as an elongated at plate of desired dimensions and conguration. The lower portion of the member M is herein disclosed as reduced in width, as at I, and provided with an outstanding lip or flange 2 with which is rotatably engaged from below a Wheel 3. This wheel 3 is adapted to engage and ride on the periphery of a can during a Working operation.

be generally or broadly termed as an 'inverted L slot.

Slidably mounted on the member M` below -the slot 8 is a plate 9 having itsV inner marginal portion provided with an outstanding stop :element I0 which preferably possesses a certain fdegree of inherent resiliency or iiexibility so that 'impractice `Vthe device -asa unit may be eiectiv'ely-employed `with cans of `varying `sizes within certain limitations. 1 i.

YExtending '-in `a #general direction :lengthwise of the-body M is-anelongated lever `vvI-I Whichalso overlies the-sliding-plate 9. The innerextremity of the-'lever -H Ais lformed -to provide abutting blade I2 which is adapted =to penetrate=an`end wall lof the canwhen the device -is in operation.y

'The llever I'I inwardly `of the Iblade I2 has-dis# jposed therethrough Aa part I4, such -as afscrew,

which is also directed throughthe vplate--9 r'and the slot 1 of the member M, wherebyw'the lever Il and plate 9 are pivotally engaged. The lever II at'the required distance outwardly 'from-'the part I4, carries a secondppart-IS, also shown las a screw, whichridesin the slot 4I8.

Asjshown in `the Yaccompanying drawings the louter portion of theilever I I is'formed to `provide a cap or top removerjl While the outerjportion of the kmember M is lformed 'to provide-'ascrew driver blade l1 which also forms a handle or holding means.

In practice, the device is applied against a can with the wheel 4 below the chine a of the can and the stop element I0 lying over or across the edge of the can and of course with the lever II in a position to raise the cutting blade I2.

The lever Il is then properly swung to cause the blade I2 to penetrate the adjacent end wall of the can and at the same time effect the downward movement of the plate 9 to bring the same into effective engagement with the can edge and` to maintaindesired contact of the wheel 4 with the chine a to assure desired travel of the device around the can as the wheel 4 is rotated or should the device be held stationary, to effect desired rotation of the can.

When the lever ll is at the limit of its movement to eiect penetration of Vthe cutting blade l2, it is past its center of swinging movement to assure the maintenance of the cutting blade in desired positon throughout the cutting operation.

In the embodiment of the invention as illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, the general construe` tion and assembly is the same as comprised in the rst embodiment, except that the stop means carried by the sliding plate i8 on the body member B comprises two transversely spaced rollers I9 rotatably carried by the lower corner portions of the plate I8.

From the foregoing description it is thought to be obvious that a can opener constructed in accordance with my invention is particularly well adapted for use by reason ofthe convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated.

I claim:

l. A can opener including a body plate, a traction wheel mounted thereon, a swinging lever operatively mounted on the body plate and having a cutting means, said traction wheel engaging the chine of a can upon rotation of the wheel, means for rotating'the wheel, a plate member -slidably mounted on the body plate for movement toward and from the traction wheel, and an Y .operativeconnection between the plate member and the lever whereby the plate member is moved toward the traction wheel when vthe lever is moved in a direction to make effective the cutting means and vice versa, the body plate being pro- -videdl with perpendicularly related slots, and

parts carried by the lever working insaid slots.

" 2. A can opener including a body member, a

traction wheel mounted on the body member, a swinging lever operatively mounted on the body member and having a cutting means, the traction wheel being adapted to engage the chine of the can upon rotation of the wheel, means for rotating the wheel, a` plate slidably mounted on `the body member for movement toward or from the traction wheel, an `operative connection between the plate and lever whereby the plate is moved toward the `traction wheel when the lever is moved in a direction to make effective the cutting means and vice versa and a stop element carried by the plate for engagement against the'top of the can.

3. A can opener, comprising a long flat body plate, having means at one end providing a handle, a rotary drive wheel pivotally supported on the plate at one side face thereof, means for turning said wheel, a plate disposed across the said one side face of the `body plate between the handle and wheel and coupled with the body plate for sliding movement thereon,l means carried by the second mentioned plate for engagement with the top edge of a can, a lever pivoted adjacent to one end on the second plate to swing on an axis paralleling the rotary axis of the drive wheel, a cutter upon the said one end of the lever extending beyond the said can edge engaging means, and a pivotal and sliding fulcrum coupling between the lever and the body plate and movable across the length of the body plate, by 'which the said cutter is shifted relatively to the wheel and the second plate is caused to slide on the body plate when the lever is swung on its pivot.

4. A can opener of the character described in claim 3, wherein the said means carried by the second mentioned plate for engagement with the top edge of a can comprises an integral right angle extension of a portion oi the second mentioned plate, said extension having an opening therein through which said cutter projects.

5. A can opener of the character stated in claim 3, wherein the said means carried by the second mentioned plate for engagement with the top edge of a can comprises two roller members supported upon the second mentioned plate and spaced apart transversely of the body plate, the said cutter upon the said one end of theV` lever being disposed between the rollers.

6. A can opener of the character stated in claim 3, wherein the said pivotal and sliding fulcrum coupling between the lever and the body plate comprises a slot formed in the body plate in a direction transversely thereof and located between the second mentionedplate and handlev and an element carried Vby the lever slidably engaged in said slot.

7. A can opener of the character stated in claim 3, wherein the body plate has a portion of the end thereof upon the side of the drive wheel remote from the second mentioned plate turned to extend laterally from the said one side face, and a roller element pivotally supported upon the laterally turned end portion oi the body plate to rotate on an axis extending lengthwise of the body plate, said roller being adapted to engage the side wall of a can when the` opener is in operative position thereon.

ROBERT H. WAILER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the iile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 4 Number Name Date 1,974,760 Usbeck Sept. 25, 193i 1,989,807 Jeppson Feb. 5, 1935 2,020,580 Schoenberger Nov.,l2, 1935 2,204,368 Kublin June 11, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number l Country Date 386,872 Great Britain J an. 2B, 1933 571,632 Great Britain Sept. 3,1945 

